The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations and other International Organizations was first established in 1984, and it serves as an important bridge between the European headquarter of the United Nations, other International Organizations and Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has had six Permanent
Representatives and one
Chargé d'affaires
in Geneva. The first Permanent Representative of Afghanistan was H.E. Dr. M. Akbar Kherad, followed by H.E. Mohammad Nabi Amani , H.E. Dr. Sher Ahmad Nasri (Haqshinas),
Mr. Homayon Tandar
(Chargé d'affaires), H.E. Dr Shamsuzzakir Kazemi, H.E. Dr. Assad
Omar, H.E.
Dr. Nanguyalai Tarzi and H.E. Mr.
Zalmai Aziz, respectively.
H.E.
Mr. Zalmai Aziz on September 13, 2010 presented to H.E. Mr. Sergei
Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at
Geneva his credentials as the new Permanent Representative of
Afghanistan to the United Nations Office and other International
Organizations in Geneva.
Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Ambassador Aziz had been serving
as Ambassador of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation and also
concurrently serving as non- resident Ambassador to the Republic of
Moldova, Georgia, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of
Armenia.
Ambassador
Zalmai Aziz joined the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1966.
He has since worked in a number of departments at the Ministry as
well as at Afghan Missions abroad including the Permanent Mission of
Afghanistan to the United Nations office in New York.
As a career diplomat, Ambassador Aziz’s notable positions include
serving as Director of the United Nations Department at Afghanistan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and First Vice-Minister of Foreign
Affairs. He has participated in many bilateral and multilateral
negotiations and has led Afghanistan’s delegations to a number of
international conferences and meetings.
Born in
Kabul on June 22, 1939, Ambassador Aziz studied International
Relations, graduating with honours.
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Embassy of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan to Switzerland
Bilateral relations
The Government of Afghanistan first established diplomatic relations with the Government of Switzerland in 1928.The two governments concluded a treaty of friendship and regulated rights of settlement and residence. However, political and economic relations in the following decades remained low-key. By contrast, the foundation of the Bibliotheca Afghanica in Liestal (BL) in 1975 testifies to a strong interest in Afghan culture.
Until 1979, both countries maintained mutually cordial and friendly relations, in 1928 His Majesty King Amanullah Khan, the reformist monarch of Afghanistan had paid an official visit to Switzerland .

H.M. King Amanullah Khan & H.E.M.Schultess, President of the Swiss Confederation
1928 Bern, Switzerland
When Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan in 1979, the Federal Council expressed its concern. By
then, Switzerland had also established diplomatic relations with the former Soviet Union. At the same time it supported the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for war victims. Even when the Taliban came to power, Switzerland did not sever diplomatic relations with the new government. However, Switzerland played a crucial role when International Peace Talks on Afghanistan were organized by the United Nations among the government of Dr. Najibullah, the Mujahideen, the US and the USSR and Pakistan .
In 2000 it also adopted the United Nations sanctions against the Taliban government but continued to finance humanitarian projects to alleviate the distress of the population.
In 2001, the Taliban government fell and Switzerland immediately increased its humanitarian commitment. In 2002 the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation opened a coordination office in Kabul . The Federal Council also decided that Swiss troops would participate in the UN mandated
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for
Afghanistan.